Most Venerable 'Bhante' Vimalaramsi Mahathera was bestowed the title ‘Sasana Tilaka’, the clear teacher of the three signs.

For the strong leadership, for spreading spiritualism, for contribution to the wellfare of Buddhist religion and for your many accomplishments and principled actions, on behalf of our nation the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh is proud to confer you Sasana Tilaka.

Given at the Visaka Puja Celebration Committee held on May 17, 2011, 2555 BE.

:-)

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

I found some photos here, which should be viewable even without a Facebook account. The album has the following text: "Venerable Dharmeswar has come from Bengladesh and has stopped in Missouri to present Bhante Vimalaramsi with the title "Sasana Tilaka"." The document can be read there, though with some difficulty given the resolution.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

Last edited by mirco on Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

Viscid wrote:Any previous recipients of the 'Sasana Tilaka' title are seemingly ungooglable, which makes its prestige dubious.

There are more things in heaven and earth, than G00gle knows. :-).

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

Yes, that's a very pretty piece of paper.. but what does being a 'Sasana Tilaka' mean, exactly? Who else is or was a 'Sasana Tilka?' Why was it given to Vimalaramsi particularly, on the other side of the planet, and not some other teacher? What sort of relationship does he have with the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh? What authority does the 'Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh' have?

Knowing these sort of things defines the relevance of receiving such a title.

Last edited by Viscid on Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Viscid wrote:What relationship does he have with the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh?

Zoom in and have a look :-)

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

We can get clear idea [sic] about Bhante Vimalaramsi if we quote the comment of Kathleen Anderson, PhD, a member of the Seattle Buddhist Community. "This is really a special and joyous time for all of us. Venerable Vimalaramsi is a most gifted and dynamic meditation teacher and a beautiful and loving human being. We are prepared to host many additional friends and visitors beacuse he will reach far beyond our traditional community, especially when it gets out that in his new position he is basically the Head of Buddhism in our country now."

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

We can get clear idea [sic] about Bhante Vimalaramsi if we quote the comment of Kathleen Anderson, PhD, a member of the Seattle Buddhist Community. "This is really a special and joyous time for all of us. Venerable Vimalaramsi is a most gifted and dynamic meditation teacher and a beautiful and loving human being. We are prepared to host many additional friends and visitors beacuse he will reach far beyond our traditional community, especially when it gets out that in his new position he is basically the Head of Buddhism in our country now."

Yup.

head of buddhism in America?

good luck with that BV.

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

Whoever this title comes from or how much prestige it carries doesn't really matter in my opinion. It is a token of respect and a very nice thing to give.Titles are also a good thing to let go of as well :)

Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.

mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments

If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.

Not to sound overly critical but for a document meant to represent the "Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh" (sounds important) and which in a way represents the Three Jewels in general, and which happens to be written in English, and is also meant to be presented to a native English-speaker, shouldn't the English on the document be... better?

The heart of the path is SO simple. No need for long explanations. Give up clinging to love and hate, just rest with things as they are. That is all I do in my own practice. Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing. Of course, there are dozens of meditation techniques to develop samadhi and many kinds of vipassana. But it all comes back to this - just let it all be. Step over here where it is cool, out of the battle. - Ajahn Chah

Virgo wrote:Not to sound overly critical but for a document meant to represent the "Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh" (sounds important) and which in a way represents the Three Jewels in general, and which happens to be written in English, and is also meant to be presented to a native English-speaker, shouldn't the English on the document be... better?

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

Ytrog wrote:Whoever this title comes from or how much prestige it carries doesn't really matter in my opinion.It is a token of respect and a very nice thing to give.

This ios how I see it.

Ytrog wrote:Titles are also a good thing to let go of as well :)

Well, that is, what he practises. He never talks about his titles, although he also holds 'High Holiness' and 'Sayadaw Gyi'.

He wants everyone around him to call him 'Bhante' only.

It's just that people like me for instance, can't let go of that stuff an somehow need to mention it from time to time.

:-)

Last edited by mirco on Sat Jan 28, 2012 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

But he is the "first USA Representative for the World Buddhist Supreme Summit Council which meets every two years. Upon approval he was inaugurated into this lifetime position on November 1, 2008 in the New Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism in Japan. The Summit represents 32 countries where Buddhism is taught through the three main schools of buddhism. The summit was originally formed in 1998 when H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Ven. Dr. Enshinjoh of Japan, and the H.H. Sangha Raja of Thailand came together with this idea. The summit seeks to re-examine the fundamental teachings and practice of the Buddha in order to help the three schools of Buddhism to recognize their commonalities in this 21st Century."

May there be many holesome summits :-)

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."

Where is all the above anger coming from?A Buddhist monk receives an obscure award and people become upset.I could understand people becoming a little bit ratty regarding dubious winners of grander prizes like the Nobel peace prize (Obama?, Arafat?), but to get such strong reactions about this is strange. If people have problems with Bhante V, then I am sure that there are other threads in which one can take issue with him. Methinks some people have an agenda. As far as the award goes, good for Bhante V. One thing that is indisputable is that over the last decade Bhante V has generated debate and been the catalyst for some people to re-evaluate, re-read and reconsider the suttas/vinaya as the only Buddhavacana. Hopefully those people that reject anything he says outright have at least inquired into the suttas.

Brizzy wrote:Hopefully those people that reject anything he says outright have at least inquired into the suttas.

Hmmm. Any number of reasons not to be thrilled by Vimalaramsi, but one should not assume that those who might not find Vimalaramsi to be the cat's pajamas are not well versed in the suttas and one should not assume that Vimalaramsi had anything to do with that.

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++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.